CONDOMINIUM

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ESC proposes new waterfront city, nuclear energy

SINGAPORE: The Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) on Monday gave extensive recommendations to ensure energy sustainability and the full optimisation of Singapore's land space, given the island-state's limited resources.

Among the plans is a new waterfront city at Tanjong Pagar, currently a port area comprising Keppel and Pulau Brani. The current port lease in the area expires in 2027.

The land area is similar in size to Marina Bay and the committee believes it can potentially allow for a substantial expansion of the business district, integrated with waterfront housing, hotels and other lifestyle attractions.

Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development and co-chair of ESC Sub-committee On Land, said: "This piece of land, I think will give us lots of elements to work on. We're quite excited about the potential. It is large, it is well-located, so we believe that it offers us opportunities to create economic, social, recreational, tourism opportunities."

The committee said there is also a need for an underground master plan. It said the government should catalyse the development of underground space over the next decade. The committee also emphasized a need to develop subterranean land rights, a valuation framework and to establish a national geology office.

Ms Fu said: "The government can take the lead by creating basement spaces, in conjunction with new infrastructure development. We can create land bank, underground land bank, especially around our rail system. Also, we'd like to develop an underground masterplan to ensure that underground and above ground are synergised and optimised."

The "hard" infrastructure aside, there is also a strong push for Singapore to provide the best quality of life in Asia. And this involves growing the arts and entertainment scene by developing economically and socially vibrant districts, such as Bugis.

Lui Tuck Yew, Acting Information, Communications & Arts Minister and co-chair of ESC Sub-Committee On Global City, said: "Singapore features very well on the global competitiveness indices, as a place to do business, as a place for the economy to grow and so on.

"Where, I think, we have room to improve further, is actually on the softer issues, the softer aspects - the cultural areas, the arts - as well as to make this place an even more liveable city."

Mr Lui said Singapore should develop by 2020 at least five world-class institutions in diverse fields such as arts, design and fashion.

Besides land constraints, Singapore also faces energy resource constraints. The committee suggested that Singapore study the feasibility of using nuclear energy in the long term, an idea which Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2008 said he "hasn't ruled out".

The ESC said the option could help meet base load electricity demand as well as Singapore's energy security in the long run.

In the medium term, the committee suggested Singapore should explore coal and electricity imports to diversify its energy sources. Importing energy will also free up valuable land in the country.

Tangjong Pagar is Next Marina Bay

EVEN before Singapore's Marina Bay is completed, the next iconic development has been identified by the Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) - Tanjong Pagar.

Senior Minister of State Grace Fu said on Monday that the port could be transformed 'into a another Marina Bay and it can offer immense opportunities to support future growth'.

This is an example of the 'bold and imaginative urban planning and redevelopment' that the ESC report said is necessary to develop the infrastructure necessary to provide 'the highest quality of life in Asia'.

The port's lease is up in 2027.

'We have to make more efficient use of our land, to maximise optimise its economic value and preserve a sense of space in our residential neighbourhoods,' said the report, released on Monday.

'We must also expand our land bank. by investing in the creation of underground space, especially around our transport nodes,' it added.

The end-goal of such infrastructure development is to position Singapore as a global city.

'Being a global city and a meeting point in Asia for enterprise, talent, cultures and ideas, will be a source of competitiveness and growth in its own right.' said the report.

PRESENT USAGE OF TANJONG PAGAR PORT AREA

PRESENT PORT AREA WILL BE VACATED

PORT FACILITIES WILL BE DEVELOPED AT TUAS, WESTERN PART OF SINGAPORE ISLAND

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Tanjong Pagar might become the next Marina Bay

The Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) - a government agency that "develops and recommend strategies to grow Singapore's future as a leading global city in the heart of Asia" - has suggested that Singapore convert the Tanjong Pagar port area into a waterfront city, much like Marina Bay.

Anyway, that area has a lot of potential for development. According to Grace Fu, Senior Minister of State for National Development,

This area is very attractive, it is just at the fringe of the city, the size is comparable to another Marina Bay and it can offer immense opportunities to support future growth

Because of its proximity to the Central Business District, Sentosa and universities, Tanjong Pagar ‘will give us lots of elements to work on and we’re quite excited about the potential’, she added.

When PSA Corporation's lease on the land expires in 2027, the area can be redeveloped into a business district with apartments, hotels, lifestyle and tourism facilities.

But at the moment, these strategies are just suggestions, nothing concrete will come out of it at this point of time. Still, it's always good to think ahead. More recommendations are on the way, especially on "Maximising Value from Land as a Scarce Resource" on 4th Feb 2010.

What's so special about Singapore?

This Garden City, with trees, shrubs and flowering plants along most roads and with open space covered with grass, is clean and bright.

People are friendly, law abiding, charitable and will assist you in anyway they can and most locals can speak English. The country has very comprehensive mode of transportations, buses, trains and axis, to get you to the desired destination.

With good security protection, it the the safest city within the region and you can go anywhere safely, even at 2 am in the morning. It is a shopping paradise with good shopping complexes, kept open till late in the night or open for 24 hours. These shopping centers sell only authentic branded items or get to Bugis Village for cheap and good merchandises and souvenirs.

Singapore is the best location for all types of food and ethnic dishes. The various food centres offer authentic cooking of all races and nationalities at affordable prices. A local breakfast, including coffee or tea will cost you about S$3/- to S$4/- A normal lunch or dinner at such locations will very most cost about S$ 12 to S$ 15/- for 2 but will cost more if seafood is being ordered.

Singapore is also a hub for cheap and budget airfare to the region and Australia. From here you can get to Thailand, Indonesia, Kampuchea, Vietnam and Laos for a short trip before going home.

Singapore is a weird anomaly and freak show of Southeast Asia. We're a First World country in a turbulent, chaotic, messy Third World region.

Singaporeans like myself have to escape the gilded cage at least occasionally to see how the real world lives. When I was in north Vietnam a local said to me he wanted to visit Singapore for its cleanliness [sic], the stuff of fantastical legend. A friend of his who'd been had told him he didn't have to change his shirt once in four days, LOL. He was being perfectly serious. Mind boggling.

- Bugis street with little shops - Orchard Road, main shopping district - Mustafa Centre, 24 HOUR SHOPPING MALL in Little India! CHEAP! - Neighbourhood malls along ALMOST EVERY TRAIN STATION! - You can also cross the causeway from Singapore to Johor Bahru, Malaysia to do some shopping in City Sq. The clothes are generally CHEAPER by a bit. Their currency is Ringgit and 1 Singapore Dollar is about 2.30 Ringgit.